Patent document DE 10 2012 112 802 A1 discusses a method for controlling a vehicle, which includes a driver assistance system enabling autonomous, semi-autonomous and manual driving, a surroundings detection unit, an evaluation unit evaluating the surroundings data generated by the surroundings detection unit for assessing the surroundings situation of the vehicle, and a hazard warning device controllable by the driver assistance system during autonomous or semi-autonomous driving for outputting a warning signal as a take-over prompt to the driver as a function of the assessment of the surroundings situation of the vehicle. In the process, the take-over probability, with which a driver intervention will soon likely be required, is determined with the aid of a risk assessment unit on the basis of the surroundings data and from driving-dynamics data of the vehicle during the autonomous or semi-autonomous driving. In addition, the driver's attention level is estimated with the aid of an attention estimation unit and, finally, a period of time until the warning signal is generated is determined from the take-over probability as a function of the driver's attention level.